After the Battle - The Beginning of the End
by What a Rubber Chicken
Summary: After a particularly gruesome battle, Marinette is left shaken. She makes a decision that will change everything, but will Chat accept it? Warning: imagery, language, and adult situations. Also, smut. Later.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own** **Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir** **and I am not associated with them in any way.** I am just as disappointed as the rest of you that the release date has been pushed back again.

 _A/N: Don't do it, don't you dare, you've got enough WIPs—(Big, fluffy sigh.) Okay, I give up. I really do want to post this and I've been writing it since July. I recently got separated from my computer and realized I missed reading it over and over again. I keep coming back to it when I'm supposed to be working on_ _Issues_ _, so I'm hoping this gives me the motivation to just finish it and get it out of my system._

 _Yes, as the title suggests, this is associated with_ _After the Battle_ _, but you don't need to read that one first to figure out what's going on here. (In fact, if you haven't read that one already,_ _ **don't**_ _! It'll spoil how this one turns out!) I'm not going to link it to_ _After the Battle_ _, because I intentionally wrote that one vague enough so that the reader can interpret how much they think Marinette and Chat know, however they want. This is going to go into a bit more… detail._

 _Actually,_ _ **a lot**_ _more detail, so innocents please make yourselves scarce right now._

 _As stated before, I wrote this before the second season came out, back when everyone was sure the kids were 15 when they got their Miraculouses. Since we now have more definitive ages, I've updated this fic and I may go back and do_ _After the Battle_ _too, because I've got to give Chat time to properly come into his body, and guys usually mature later._

 _Written under the prompt: "What if there was a_ _ **magical**_ _reason they couldn't know each other's identities?"_

 _This is rated for imagery, language, and adult situations. You have been warned._

* * *

 **After the Battle – The Beginning of the End**

 **Chapter 1: Exposition**

Marinette tried desperately to control her breathing, to rake in her sobs as she clutched her pillow and rocked on her bed. She couldn't help it. So close. SO CLOSE.

So much blood had been pouring out of her partner as he hung there, still and unresponsive. He hadn't moved as she'd screamed at him. Hadn't come to try and help her as she desperately tried to defeat the akuma, half-blinded by tears. She had screamed and shrieked, and probably hit the tree-based monster a few more times than she'd really needed to in order to get the akuma out. When she'd finally thrown her Lucky Charm up and called for the Cure, she'd been half-expecting Chat Noir to simply disappear too. So, when she'd turned to see him grinning at her, his hair hanging limply around his face and weakly holding his fist up for their usual bump, she'd been nearly limp with relief. She could've kissed him.

"YOU STUPID CAT!" she'd shrieked at him instead, ignoring the surprised look on his face and the helicopters circling around them, recording everything.

"Um, my lady, can we do this—"

"YOU COULD'VE JUST TOLD ME TO DODGE! OR PUSHED ME OUT OF THE WAY!"

Then Chat had looked irritated. "Well, sorry if I had to think quickly—"

"SORRY DOESN'T CUT IT! YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO TAKE THAT HIT!"

"BETTER ME THAN YOU!" he'd finally yelled back. His hands had moved like they wanted to grab her, and he visibly held himself back. "Look, we both know—"

"YOU COULD'VE DIED!" she'd screamed.

"Yeah, and what do you care?" he'd snapped back, his hair whipping around his face. She'd choked on the rest of her words as she stared at the look of loathing he'd shot at her _. Wha—? How could—? Why—?_

"Chat?" she'd finally choked out. He'd turned away from her.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

And then he was gone. She'd finally noticed the helicopters, and had quickly fled as well before the public got a good picture of the tears streaking down her face.

She'd come home and buried her face in her pillows, sobbing as Tikki tried to comfort her. The Miraculous Cure fixed everything, except her memory of the way that branch had gone straight through his armor… the way he'd screamed before choking and coughing up blood—she wailed again and buried her face deeper in her pillow.

"You said it was impenetrable, Tikki!" she cried. "You said nothing could pierce our armor!"

"Nothing but magic," Tikki softly reminded her. "Which is what the akuma had."

Marinette muffled another long, frustrated scream in her pillow.

"You've both been hit by an akuma's magic before," Tikki said. "Just never like that, that badly, before today."

It was true. They'd both been hit before. Hurt, before her Miraculous Cure could wash it all away. And every time, her heart broke a bit more. Especially since Chat had taken it upon himself to be her personal meat shield. How many times had people criticized her for allowing him to hurt himself for her? Even if everything turned out all right in the end, there was always the chance that it wouldn't. She'd explained his sacrifices away as necessary; she was the only one who could call on the Cure, but… it didn't stop the hurt every time she had to watch him _die_. And now—to think that _he thought she didn't care_ ….

"I can't-I can't _do_ this anymore, Tikki," Marinette whimpered. "Did you see the look on his face?"

"If Ladybug disappears, Chat Noir will have to fight alone," Tikki reminded her. "And he has no way to purify the akumas on his own. You won't be doing him any favors by giving up now."

"I can't—I'm not strong enough! I can't go through that again!" She was blubbering and she knew it, but she couldn't help herself. "I feel like such a failure!"

"You are an excellent Ladybug, Marinette," Tikki said firmly. "And you've been doing this for years. Somehow you've always made it work."

"During the battle, yeah! But it doesn't erase the memories," Marinette protested.

"The memories help you both grow stronger. Wiser."

"He had to feel himself die today, Tikki!" she yelled at her kwami. "How is that-!" She burst into broken sniffles. "I can't—can't imagine what he's going through right now. And I can't even help! _He's my partner!_ " she shouted. " _I should be helping him deal with this!_ And I _can't_!" She moaned. "I can't even comfort him…."

She lay back on her bed, covering her face as her body was wracked with sobs again.

"And he hates me," she whimpered, thinking of the anger in those green eyes. "He thinks I don't care at all."

"Oh, Marinette, I'm sure that's not the case," Tikki said, swooping down to pat her reassuringly. "You were both high on emotions, that's all. Chat Noir loves you. He always has."

"That's the problem," Marinette looked away as her stomach lurched. Chat had claimed to love her for years now, ever since they had first started this whole thing. It had been easily to play off in the early years, when they were still young and stupid, making it into a teasing game between them… but his resolve hadn't wavered since then. Not even with some of his more ardent fans throwing themselves at him (which made them both glad to have secret identities to escape to). As the years went by and he'd continued to declare himself only for her, she'd claimed it was nothing more than puppy love, and even told him once to get a girlfriend on live TV, so he could discover what real love was like. He'd laughed and shaken his head at her, saying he couldn't do that when his heart was already taken, but at least he'd backed off the flirting later. A bit.

And now that they were older, she had to admit, she'd taken to noticing just how attractive her partner really was. Once she realized how she was reacting to him, she'd immediately started to keep their encounters short and to the point, transforming only to come in and save the day (and the occasional Ladyblog update for Alya) or to do their usual patrols. He was already sweet, and well-mannered, and _so_ much fun to be around; not to mention she was certain that if she ever needed help, he would be the first to offer. She didn't dare stay any longer than she had to with him; any long, heart-wrenching conversations would've made her fall for him so much sooner.

And that was the last thing she needed!

She didn't need any extra time to see how his muscles had filled out, or how his body now moved with a fluid grace that had his fans swooning, even if he _didn't_ wink at them with his glowing eyes. Which he did, of course. All the time. Or he raked his claws through his long hair, just daring them to touch it. To _play_ with him. More than one girl had had to be treated for fainting on the spot. Not that she was jealous! But it was hard to concentrate when he—

 _Nope, not gonna think about that._

He was still her silly kitty. He still played jokes, and made bad puns, and acted like a fool whenever he thought he could get away with it. And many times when he knew he _couldn't_ get away with it. The pranks, the trick presents, that one time he'd crashed Gabriel Agreste's showcase and had the nerve to walk the catwalk, blowing kisses to the crowd, just because that awful man had caused not one, not two, but three akumas that week while trying to get his company ready for the show… God, that had been hilarious, even if she'd had to apologize to everyone for him later. Or the first time he'd tried to pull his long hair up into a pony tail, and it'd looked awful. And he'd just sat there and joked with everyone about it for a while, calling it a "cattail! They were supposed to be fluffy!" before finally pulling it out and winking at the camera, saying he preferred it to be wild and untamed.

The press loved him.

The public loved him.

She loved him.

Oh God, _she loved him_.

 _And there it was_. She groaned. She'd been denying it for so long, but she did. She loved his jokes. The way he kissed her hand. The way he'd challenge her to a race or a duel, "winner treats the other one to a date!" "Not a chance, you silly cat!" His smirks and smiles and winks and lame attempts to get her to kiss him at random opportunities… They made being Ladybug fun. Bearable.

But lately, they'd made her heart tighten. Because, if it were _real_ …. To think that… if to him, it hadn't been a game. If he'd really been longing for her all these years. If he'd truly loved her, as deeply as she'd ever loved Adrien…. And maybe more. Because she hadn't even _seen_ Adrien in over a year. His father had pulled him back out of school once the akuma attacks had started getting more dangerous. She'd never really confessed herself to him. They'd talked, and hung out, and there had been that one disastrous double-date that Alya and Nino had talked them into, but nothing else. Her schoolgirl crush had become quite the looker himself, and was apparently set to start roaming the world as a famous supermodel soon, since he was eighteen now, but that was it. Her only contact with Adrien was the news, magazines, and papers she still bought regularly (though admittedly more for the fashion ideas nowadays). Chat Noir, she saw every day, prowling by her side.

It was getting damn distracting. So distracting, she was almost certain it was the reason she hadn't seen that attack coming until it was too late. And if she dared to admit her feelings to Chat… it would only get worse. She would be distracted. _He_ would be distracted. She would _completely_ fail at her job. She might even lose her partner permanently. And all the power and freedom that came with being Ladybug couldn't compare to the heartache she would suffer if _that_ ever happened.

So, no.

She took a deep breath, trying _again_ to push any hopeful thoughts out of her head. In the end, _it did not matter_. Chat Noir and Ladybug couldn't be together. Not only would it be unprofessional, the simple fact was, the suits didn't come off. She blushed as that thought occurred to her and she quickly covered her face with her pillow again.

No. The suits didn't come off. The masks couldn't come off. Well, they could. But only if they revealed themselves— _NO_!

 _No one must know. No one must know._ She chanted the mantra in her head. _Not even them. Especially not them._

They'd both been captured by the enemy before. It hadn't lasted long, obviously, but the idea that they could be further used against each other… now _that_ was terrifying. Not to mention the danger they'd put their family and friends in. Revealing themselves was not an option.

And besides, Tikki had said if they ever revealed themselves, the magic that powered their transformation would start to fade. Soon, she wouldn't even be able to turn into Ladybug. Especially if Chat was the one who found out her identity. It was somehow related to the way the magic worked; something about balance.

Tikki refused to explain further, saying that it was how Marinette would know when she was ready to give up being Ladybug. If she wanted someone to know who she was, more than she wanted to maintain Ladybug's magic, it was time. But losing Ladybug's magic could _not_ happen. Not ever. Not being able to Cure everything? Especially with all the damage that was done to the city on a regular basis? Nope, nope, nope. She'd sooner give up the earrings entirely. So….

 _No one must know. No one must know._

She repeated it to herself religiously, hating it more every time. How many times had she wanted to tell Alya? Her parents? Anyone? How much easier would it be to bear, knowing she had someone to talk about it later? Someone to rant with when the news reporters gave a critique, making her look and sound so damn _stupid_ with whatever she'd done that day. Someone to hold her when—like today—things went incredibly wrong….

 _God. What must Chat be feeling right now?_

Her stomach heaved at the thought of her partner, alone with his kwami and the dark, blood-infused memories of a giant tree-branch sticking out of his own chest—

"I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE, TIKKI!" she screamed, finally breaking. "Please, I have to talk to him! To let him know that I'm here for him! That I do care! Please!"

"Well, then, transform," Tikki said simply, cocking her head as she tried to understand the problem.

"But what if _he's_ not transformed?" Marinette cried. "I'll never get through to him! And why would he transform right now? _I_ wouldn't want to, after everything that happened to him today! And geez, after what happened today, I wouldn't be surprised if he avoids me tomorrow too! And then, by the time he wants to talk, he'll just brush it off like it's nothing! And it's _not_ nothing!"

"Marinette," Tikki said slowly. "What are you saying?"

"I want to help him," Marinette said firmly, finally feeling like she was doing something right for the first time. "From now on, I want to be able to contact him out of the mask too."

"Out of the question," Tikki said, shaking her head. "Marinette, you know the rule—"

"I know, I know. No one must know," she recited dutifully. "And I know _why_ , Tikki. But I think it's getting ridiculous. What if he wants to talk to me about something and I don't happen to be transformed? What if, God forbid, something permanent does happen to one of us?" She shuddered. "I wouldn't even be able to contact his family and tell them."

"People go missing all the time, Marinette," Tikki said quietly.

She raised her head to glare at her kwami. "That doesn't make it right, Tikki!" _Damn, she'd been hoping for some reassurance from her kwami._ A failsafe; maybe a way to get her body back to her family without them knowing who she'd been, if the worst ever did happen. But no, nothing like that.

Just another missing person. An unsolved mystery.

 _And Chat… he kept…._ Marinette sucked in her breath shakily, feeling the tears start up again.

"If something happened to me, I'd want him to be able to tell my family," she said, gulping. "To give them all closure, at least. I'm sure he feels the same. I want to be there for him if something happens to him. Like today. I should be with him right now, telling him everything's okay… and letting him know how much I care. He needs _someone_. Someone who understands a little of what he has to go through."

If she couldn't even give his family closure, maybe…

 _Would it be too much to ask to give him some small comforts while he was still here? During the time she'd spent with him, he'd hinted that he was very lonely at home…._

"Marinette—"

"Tikki, I'm going to tell him," she said, before her kwami could say anything else. Her mind was made up. "If it means you need to find another Ladybug, so be it. You can find someone better than me. If I don't have the earrings anymore, my friends and family won't be in danger, even if he lets it slip. Which I doubt he will…. And I can act as a support person for whoever is Chosen next, right? They don't have to tell me who they are, they just have to know that they're safe here. A safe house. And someone who understands what it's like. Yes. This will work. I've been getting too distracted these days anyway."

"Wait, you—you're sure?" Tikki asked, looking surprised. "You want to give up the earrings in order to help Chat Noir?"

"Yes," Marinette said decisively. "I can't stand the thought of just leaving him like this again. And I can't let my own problems get in the way of being Ladybug. Plus, I have to start thinking about university and all that. What better time to make even more changes? Yes. This will all work out for the best. I— I will miss you, though," she admitted, drawing the kwami closer. Tikki gave her cheek a hug.

"I'll miss you too, Marinette," she said, her eyes shining. "No matter what anybody says, you are one of the best Ladybugs I've ever had."

"Thanks, Tikki," Marinette said, feeling warmer and calmer now that she had a firm plan. "I guess we'll see how Chat feels. If he doesn't tell me who he is, he can still be Chat Noir, right? That's his decision." Tikki nodded. Marinette let out a breath. She didn't know why, but part of her had believed they were kind of a packaged deal or something. At least she knew she wasn't dooming her partner into giving up his Miraculous too. He loved the superhero life. "And I can be here for him as Marinette. Heroes can always use more support. But I can't let it go on like this anymore. I just can't do it."

"So, you're really willing to give up everything for him?" Tikki asked quietly. Marinette nodded firmly.

"Yes," she said. "I should've done this a long time ago."

Time to give up the mask.

* * *

End Chapter 1.

 _A/N: Yes, I know that wasn't what y'all expected, but every time I write a sequel I feel like I have to add elements in there to make sure it's not the same old story over and over again. This is what you get when you demand sequels from me, fam. Like it? Love it? Hate it? Cocking your head sideways? Cautiously excited? Comments are always loved._

 _Like seriously. There is a buttload of exposition in this, and I want to make sure it's not too confusing. Please tell me if you're lost somewhere._


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own** **Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir** **and I am not associated with them in any way.**

 _Innocents, I'm serious. There's_ _ **language**_ _in this. (Pfft. I made a funny…. You'll get it later. Translations are at the end, but you shouldn't need them for context.)_

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Rising Action**

Marinette paced her balcony anxiously, the skirt of her wine-red dress swirling behind her. It was almost the same color as her suit, maybe a few shades darker, but she wasn't wearing any spots; in an effort to be symbolic. She'd also put on some perfume and a touch more makeup than usual today, despite assuring Tikki that she wasn't just trying to seduce Chat Noir by revealing her identity.

No, she wanted to be friends.

Just friends, _hopefully_ friends.

For all she knew, he could decide he hated her for giving up her powers or didn't like who she was under the mask. But she wanted to be someone he could feel safe with. Someone to talk to. Someone who he knew cared about him. The Guardian was a good man, but he preferred to stay out of their lives as much as possible. Marinette wanted to be there for Chat. Everyday. Whenever she could.

And she couldn't do that as Ladybug.

Just trying to contact him to set up this meeting had been a lesson in just how secure their identities were. Now that she'd made up her mind, she didn't want to wait until their next patrol together; it was nearly a week from now. She knew herself too well; if she waited, she'd overthink it and try to back out. (She'd already thought of at least a dozen other ways to try to maintain a connection to Chat without giving up her Ladybug powers, but each one had their own problems. Masks other than their magical ones could fall off. Secret codes could be broken. Hideouts could be found. Phone numbers could be traced. In the end, it was too much of a headache and she'd decided to go with her original plan.) And it wasn't like she could just try to surprise him on his own patrol tonight; they kept their routes random to throw off their enemies (and rabid fans).

She'd thought about posting something on the Blog, but everybody could see that, and some, like Alya, were sure to figure it out. She'd thought about leaving something in one of their favorite hangouts, like high on the Eiffel Tower, but there were always some enthusiasts who tried to scale monuments in hopes of a great shot of Paris's superheroes. There was a chance her note could be seen by somebody else. She'd thought of trying to use a code, but everything she thought of was way too obvious! She couldn't even use codenames—she didn't know if Marinette was the only girl he'd dubbed "princess."

So, she'd been reduced to begging her reluctant kwami for help and leaving a message on the magical communicators that came as part of their Miraculouses. Tikki had even promised to make sure that Chat's kwami would know that she wanted him to check the message as soon as possible. (Part of her wanted to throttle her kwami for not telling her she could do that earlier, but as they'd both pointed out, Chat probably wouldn't have responded last night anyway.) Tikki had been firm, however, that she not try to reveal herself over the communicator, and had forced her to practice the very simple message that said she wanted to meet above the Dupain-Cheng bakery at sunset. (Somewhere safe, so she could be sure nobody was around who wasn't supposed to be.)

It was sunset. He'd be here soon. She'd chosen this time carefully; it was just before he usually went out. Now she couldn't waffle around the issue, and he had a perfectly good excuse to run away from her if he got too uncomfortable.

 _God, the wait, though…_ already her mind had gone through hundreds of scenarios, each one worse than the last. _Just breathe,_ she reminded herself. She took a deep breath.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," a familiar voice purred, waaay too close behind her. She squawked and jumped, whirling around to see Chat Noir crouched on her roof, his green eyes glowing as he grinned shamelessly down at her. He leapt down to land softly on the balcony. "It's been too long." He took her hand and gave it a kiss.

"Hi, Chat Noir," she breathed, taking a moment to look at her partner up close. He looked all right—ok, he looked better than all right, honestly. Master Fu's book on the Miraculous had called the bearer of the Cat Ring "the Devastator," and _oh boy, was he_. His muscles had filled out over the years. He'd gotten taller. His eyes were as piercing as ever. And that hair—shining like a golden beacon of sin—was longer, wilder; just past his chin, and he hardly ever bothered to put it up anymore. She was so tempted to run her fingers through it... _Ok, she needed to stop._ She swallowed. Now was not the time to be drooling over him.

"You cut your hair," he said, cocking his head, unaware of her inner turmoil. "I like it." She blushed as she reached up to touch her pixie cut. Her hair was shorter than his now.

"Thanks," she said. "I, uh, actually cut it when Ladybug did that Wigs for Cancer Kids drive a few months ago." A lot of people had. That was the point. Now nobody could make the connection between Marinette cutting her hair and Ladybug suddenly showing up with a new hairstyle. Not even her nosy best friend.

"Ahh," he said in understanding. "Yeah, mine was a bit too short at the time." He laughed, playing with the ends of his hair. "Whatcha think, is it long enough now?"

"I think your fans might kill anyone who came at you with a pair of scissors," she said seriously.

Chat laughed again. "Yeah, we already had that akuma, didn't we? Two, three weeks ago? Running with giant scissors. Not fun. Ah, well. Anyway, Ladybug said she wanted to meet me here?" he asked, looking around expectantly.

"Oh, um, yeah," she said. "C'mon inside." She opened her hatch and led the way inside her room. As much as she wanted to just be done with this whole thing, part of her still didn't want _everyone_ to know she had been Ladybug. And anyone might see them on the balcony. She was sure to catch hell. Especially from a certain best friend…. No. No, she'd show Chat Noir and that would be enough. But to do that… she had to be alone with him. Which was thrilling and terrifying at the same time (emotions which made no sense, because she had been alone with this man more than anyone else in the world, all over the city, and sometimes in very compromising positions).

 _Just breathe_ , she reminded herself firmly, as she tried not to think about the implications of having a strange man in her bedroom after dark. Because, in the end, that's what he was. No matter how much she trusted him, he was technically still a stranger. She didn't know his name. Where he lived. Who he hung out with when he wasn't on duty. What he looked like without the mask. How he would react….

"You know, maybe I'll wait for her out—"

 _She shouldn't be doing this_ , she thought as her head spun.

So, it was no surprise when she slipped and fell down the last few stairs to land on her butt.

"Whoa, princess!" Chat cried, leaping down beside her to see if she was all right.

"I'm okay," Marinette groaned, covering her face with her hands in embarrassment. "Watch your step, they're treacherous." _Ugh. Yup, it'd be better for everyone if she did stop being Ladybug,_ she thought. _She couldn't even navigate her own room!_ She looked up at Chat to see him trying hard not to laugh at her, his eyes shining with mirth. _Yeah, she was never living that down._

"You sure?" he asked, reaching out a hand to her and helping her to her feet. "No injuries?"

"Just my pride," she assured him.

"What an odd place to put it," he remarked, looking at her behind. She gasped and smacked his arm. He laughed and held up his hands in surrender. "Sorry, sorry. I'll try not to look at your… _injured pride_." He said, grinning. She groaned. _This man. Why had she thought this was a good idea again?_

"So, when is Ladybug coming?" he asked, looking around her room casually. "Not to be pushy or anything, but I do have to do a patrol here soon."

"I know," she said. "Would you… um, like something to drink?" She asked timidly, holding out a can of his favorite soda. He usually had at least one per patrol, claiming he couldn't drink them at home.

"Thanks, Marinette," he said cheerfully, taking it and opening it. She sighed. He hadn't noticed. Marinette shouldn't know what his favorite soda was. They technically hadn't seen each other in a very long time. He'd drop by her balcony every now and then for cookies or treats from the bakery, but he never came in, always kept it short, and _always_ insisted on paying. They'd never talked about soda. But before she'd realized she was falling for him, he and Ladybug had often joked about how he was growing addicted to them. Then again, it was a major brand. Maybe he just thought she liked it too? Had he mentioned it during an interview? Well, she'd known this wasn't going to be easy. Little hints weren't going to get them anywhere.

The Miraculous's magic smoothed over most of the little things that would ordinarily out them in a moment. People's heads magically turned the other way if they happened to be transforming nearby. Recording devices had a hard time keeping track of them for long (which annoyed Alya to no end). Their voices were somehow different; she didn't think she sounded any different until she'd heard Ladybug talk on TV and had been completely flabbergasted the first time. That was how she sounded? It was so different from her usual recorded voice. She'd noticed her height could change sometimes too, just by a few inches, but enough to be noticeable. (Sometimes she and Chat were almost eye-level, sometimes he towered over her, like he was doing now.) Fans on the Ladyblog argued regularly about what shade of blue her eyes were or how muscular Chat Noir was. You'd think with skin-tight suits, getting their measurements would be a cinch. Apparently not.

She'd been hoping that just her willingness to give up her earrings would've weakened the magic a bit already. She should've known better. This was going to be so awkward. She took a deep breath.

 _She could do this. She had a plan._

"Actually, Chat Noir, Ladybug isn't coming," Marinette said. He looked at her in surprise. "I'm the one who wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?"

She gulped. Even after all these years, confessing her feelings wasn't easy for her.

 _Big, scary monster?_ _ **I got this.**_ _Complicated battle plans involving random objects not ordinarily used as weapons?_ _ **No problem!**_ _Simple, straightforward talk about my feelings?_ _ **No can do.**_

"I-I… um, I—well, I-I…." She groaned. She sounded thirteen again, for crying out loud! _Just spit it out, girl!_ Alya's voice rang in her head. "Look, I-I realized you might not have anyone to talk to if something came up and— um, well, here I am!"

 _Yep. Real smooth, Marinette._

Chat blinked at her for a moment and then sighed. "Did Ladybug put you up to this?" he asked, sounding resigned.

"Huh?" she stared at him wildly.

"Ladybug," he repeated, rolling his eyes. "She's been telling me to get a girlfriend for years."

Marinette gaped at him. He thought she'd actually _do_ something like that? _But… wait, this might be an opportunity! To have a connection to Chat without her mask, and keep their partnership as it was! She wouldn't have to reveal herself as Ladybug at all!_

"I-I-I-I… Well, I mean… would you mind?" she asked timidly. "N-Not that I want to be your girlfriend!" she backtracked when he raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I do! Of course I want you!" He grinned at her and she felt her face flush. "Wait, no! No, I just—just a friend! I could just be a friend! Someone, you know, for you to talk to…." She trailed off as her heart constricted again. _This wasn't what she wanted at all! Dammit, what had happened to her fierce resolve last night?_

For a moment, she was sure he looked at her with something akin to pure longing. Almost to the point of pain. But before she could blink and ask him what was wrong, it was gone. Chat Noir shook his head and took a deep breath as he walked over to her.

"Princess," he said, taking her hand and kissing it again. "You are as sweet as the pastries you sell. But I could never do that to you. Not when my heart belongs to another."

He looked at her through his unfairly-long eyelashes and Marinette flushed again. _Damn, he'd gotten good at spouting those poetic lines. Even ones as cheesy as that._ And again, she should've known he'd turn her down. He'd had fangirls throwing themselves at him for years now. What made her think it'd be different with her? She hadn't even told him her secret yet!

Part of her wondered if she really wanted to do this, or if she was just looking for a way out of it. Being Ladybug wasn't _bad_ , after all. The freedom, the strength, knowing she was doing something right…. Her heart clenched as the image of Chat impaled again flashed through her mind.

 _No, the_ _ **Miraculous**_ _was doing something right._ _ **She'd**_ _nearly gotten her partner killed. This needed to stop._ _ **Now**_ _._

"Then, how about just as a friend?" she asked, drawing her hand away.

"Aren't we friends already?" he asked, mock-pouting a bit.

"I mean, if you ever need to talk to someone about… stuff that happens… with the akuma attacks…."

The smile melted off his face and his eyes hardened. "You saw what happened during the attack yesterday, didn't you."

She gulped. "Yes." _Up close and personally, actually_.

" _Gǒu shǐ_ , I told them not to run it," he hissed. He sighed again. "Sorry, princess, but I gotta go. It looks like Alya and I need to have a _chat_."

"Alya didn't run it," she said quickly. "Neither did any of the stations. They said it was too… gory."

"Too true," he muttered under his breath. He started pacing, then stopped and cocked his head at her. "Wait, then how did you see it?"

"I was there," she admitted softly. She braced herself as he went white. Surely that was a big enough hint—

" _Qīngwā cāo de liúmáng_!"

"CHAT!" Marinette exclaimed, torn between scolding him and laughing at the strange phrase he'd just uttered. He stopped in his frantic pacing to look at her.

"You understood that? I thought your Chinese was bad!"

She settled on giving him a flat stare. "You should hear some of the expletives my mother comes up with when she's burns herself on the ovens."

He grinned at her sheepishly. "Um, I'm sorry, excuse my language? Wait, this doesn't take away from—WHERE WERE YOU?" He grabbed her by the shoulders. "I DIDN'T SEE ANYBODY THERE! I'D HAVE GOTTEN YOU OUT IF I HAD!"

"Chat, just listen—"

"AND WHY WERE YOU THERE? I SWEAR, IF ALYA PUT YOU UP TO—!"

"IT WASN'T ALYA!" she finally yelled over him. "I WAS CLOSER THAN SHE WAS!"

Chat froze and she watched as he searched her face while he calculated that out in his mind. He slowly released her and backed up a bit. Alya had been close yesterday. Very close. Too close, considering he and Ladybug had had to force her to get back several times. Marinette gulped. Maybe now he'd take her hints.

"Marinette," he said slowly, trying to keep his temper down, "if this is some fangirl initiation ritual—"

"You know better than that," she snapped. He closed his eyes.

"I have to go." He turned to leave, stalking towards her balcony. _Oh, for crying out loud. She couldn't even reveal her identity correctly?_

She _had_ wanted to establish the idea of a friendship with Marinette before springing her reveal on him, just in case he reacted badly, but decided to come back later, but…. She took a deep breath. _Looks like we're doing this the hard way._

"Chat Noir, look at me! _Tikki, spots on!_ "

Even as the magic washed over her, she saw Chat Noir's back go rigid as he refused to turn and look. For a few seconds, it seemed like he wasn't even breathing, but then his hands started flexing like he wanted to claw her. Or choke her. Or maybe try to ignore her completely and flee out the hatch. Finally, he took a deep, steadying breath, and slowly turned to face her.

"Well, hey, Bugaboo," he said cheerfully, giving himself away as he nervously licked his lips. "Have you seen Marinette? I swear she was just here…."

"I'm sorry, Chat," she said quietly. "I couldn't take it anymore."

" _You_ — _you_ couldn't," he flailed around wildly, as though looking for an answer from the room. "You couldn't take WHAT, exactly?"

"This. You. Me. _Us_. Dancing around and secret identities and never—"

"One rule, Ladybug! One _fucking_ rule," he snarled.

"I know."

"Do you?" he snapped. "Do you know what happens next?"

"I lose my powers," she said simply. He stared at her.

"And you're okay with that?" he asked, aghast.

"You'll get a new Ladybug," she told him, trying to keep her voice steady. "One who's up to the job." He sputtered at her, but she continued. "And it won't be like before, Chat. I'll keep my memories. I can help train her—"

"Train her?!"

"And I'll be able to be here for you both whenever you need—"

"FIVE YEARS!" he finally screamed at her. "FIVE _FUCKING_ YEARS, AND YOU EXPECT ME TO JUST LET YOU WALK AWAY—"

"I just told you, I'll still be here!" she cried, clenching her fists. "I'll be able to help you two in-between fights!"

"YOU THINK I'LL BE ABLE TO WORK WITH _ANYBODY ELSE_ , KNOWING HOW EASILY YOU GAVE UP ON ME?"

"This isn't easy—I ALMOST LOST YOU!" Ladybug screamed back at him. "I NEARLY LET YOU DIE, CHAT! I COULD BARELY SEE THE DAMN AKUMA, I WAS CRYING SO HARD! I SLIPPED ON YOUR BLOOD WHEN I CALLED FOR THE CURE!" He froze in his tracks, staring at her and she faltered, clenching her hands into fists to stop them from shaking. "God, I was so scared it wasn't going to work…. I love you too much. There, I said it. I love you. I love you and it's distracting me. I can't concentrate during battles anymore. I'm too focused on you!"

"You love—?" Chat stared at her, mouth open, for a moment. Then he visibly shook himself out of it. "No. If you loved me, you wouldn't be abandoning me!"

"I just told you, I—"

"NO! No, we're not talking about your lame excuses right now!"

"It's not lame! I just… can't take it anymore. Knowing I hold your life in my hands… And I've failed you! I've watched you die… so many times, Chat." She said weakly.

You've always brought me back," he muttered, determined to continue their argument.

"So far. What happens when I'm not strong enough? If I make a mistake?" she whimpered. "You keep taking the damn hits."

"That's how it has to be, _Miraculous Ladybug_!" his voice was trembling.

"I know!" she sobbed. "I know, I _know_ and I hate it. I know _why_ you do it and I _can't_ argue and I can't do _anything_ but my job and I can't even _comfort_ you afterwards because of our _stupid, fucking timers_!" she burst into tears. She was only a little surprised when she felt him wrap his arms around her tightly, pulling her close.

"Oh, Bug, is that what this is all about? You were worried about me?"

"I can't help it anymore. I fell in love with you, despite everything I've tried to stop it," she admitted, clutching him. She felt him chuckle around her and hit his chest in frustration. "It's not funny! It's not supposed to happen for a reason! I can't get distracted! Otherwise… we get… problems like yesterday," she swallowed, trying not remember it.

"Aww, did I _distract_ you, my lady?" Chat teased, pulling back just enough so he could wiggle his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, getting a bit angry of how flippant he was being. "And don't you dare tell me it was nothing, Chat Noir," she said, her voice shaking. "I _heard_ you scream."

"Yeah, no, it sucked," he admitted, pulling her back against him and tucking her under his chin. "But I didn't mean to scare you into giving up your Miraculous…." Ladybug felt herself relax, despite everything, her own arms going around him automatically. _Oh God, just being in his arms was wonderful. Safe. Warm. Thrilling._ She was having a hard time remembering why she'd denied herself this for so long.

 _I should've given into him a long time ago,_ she thought wistfully. _And now, when we're about to end things…. I just… I can't lose him. Not forever. I'd rather watch him from afar with someone else than witness him dying because of me again._

"This is my decision, Chat," she said, feeling her heart ache. "I want to help you still, and I know you'll be a good partner for the next—"

" _Wǒ de mā hé tā de fēngkuáng de wàishēng dōu_ , are you still talking about that?"

"Chat Noir!" she cried, pushing him back slightly. "I am going to wash your mouth out—!"

"—You are the only Ladybug for me!" he exclaimed, his arms around her tightening. "Dammit, _Plagg, claws in_!"

"Chat, _NO!"_ she shouted, quickly clamping her hands over her eyes against the flash of green. For good measure, she closed her eyes behind her hands as well. Chat let her go and sniggered, pulling her hands away from her face. Stubbornly, she kept her eyes closed as she inwardly swore at herself. She should've known. _She should've fucking known!_ He was so damn impulsive and _stubborn_ …. She felt his hand lift her chin so that she'd be looking directly at him if she...

"Open your eyes, Ladybug," he teased. Part of her noticed that his voice sounded slightly different, but still terrifyingly familiar.

"NO! No! No, no, no, no!" she cried, stepping away from him. He caught her by the arms and held her there. "Chat, that's not—this isn't how—PUT YOUR MASK BACK ON!"

"Nope," he said saucily. "If you get to quit, then so do I."

"No!" she cried, as he pulled her closer. She couldn't see him, but she could feel his warmth against her and smell the deep, musky scent of him every time she breathed. Ladybug tried to pull away from him again, but he stubbornly kept his grip on her arms; forcing them down, away from her face, and keeping her with him. She was sure she could pull away from him if she really wanted to (she was still transformed, after all), but it might hurt him if she did. Especially if he was being stubborn like this. She started shaking. "Chat, please… I didn't mean for you to— I'll still be here! I still want to help you! It was _me_ who couldn't do her job right anymore… dammit, Chat, I know how much this means to you!"

"Do you?" he asked quietly, amused.

"You told me once, remember?" she said desperately. "Being Chat Noir is everything to you! Your only freedom! The reason you get up every morning! You love it! Remember? Doing good works! Saving people! And the jokes… and fun—"

"—And _you_ ," he finished, kissing her temple. "And really, none of the rest of it matters if I don't get to share it with you, my lady. Now open your eyes."

"Chat, please, just _think_ about this for a minute…," she whimpered. This wasn't how it was supposed to go! She was letting this go because she wasn't strong enough! She couldn't take it! He _could_ take it! He loved being a superhero! She couldn't take all that from him!

"You think I haven't dreamed of this moment for years now? Finding out who you are?" he laughed. "Remember our first year? When Plagg here oh-so-conveniently 'forgot' to tell me that revealing ourselves would make us lose the magic? I was so confused why you wouldn't tell me… then he finally confessed to _wanting_ to let the magic fade, just so he could go back to sleep, the lazy little shit—"

"Yeah, screw you too, kid," an unfamiliar voice injected. Ladybug could almost hear his eyes rolling. _That must be his kwami._

"—and I had to go tripping over myself to apologize to you for even suggesting it in the first place?"

"I remember," she said quietly. Chat had been so red that day, trying to explain that his kwami had never fully explained the magic to him, and no, he didn't want her to tell him her identity anymore because he didn't want to lose her as a partner. Ladybug had just smiled and told him that Tikki had already explained everything to her, including the part where her counterpart was a lazy, laidback type who was probably letting his Chosen "wing it." Part of her really wanted to open her eyes now, just to see this infamous other kwami for herself, but….

"Even back then, you didn't want to lose the magic," she reminded her partner.

"I didn't want to lose _you_ ," he corrected.

" _Chat Noir_ ," she groaned. She was going to give in if he kept it up with those damn lines.

" _Ladybug_ ," he said mockingly in the same tone. He chuckled at her. "God, what a pair of idiots we are. Open up your eyes, milady. I've got a surprise for you…." He sang teasingly.

"I won't!" she said stubbornly, digging in her heels. "Where's your kwami? Plagg, was it? Plagg, tell him what a bad idea this is!"

"Oh, I dunno," the unfamiliar voice drawled. "This is pretty frickin' hilarious from my point of view."

She choked at the kwami's nonchalance. Tikki hadn't been kidding!

"Sorry, Bugaboo," Chat said, sounding smug. "I got the kwami who doesn't really care about the rules."

"Wuss," Plagg said.

"Glutton," Chat shot back automatically. It sounded like an old argument. _Dammit, she was losing this fight!_

"Well, then… Tikki! _Tikki, spots off_!" she cried, trying to find an ally. She let the transformation take her and felt a little bit of sadness. It would have to be her last one, after all. She firmly decided to ignore Chat's sudden intake of breath as she de-transformed. Right now, she had to save him from himself. "Tikki, tell him to transform again! Please!" she cried, desperately, keeping her eyes firmly closed. "The new Ladybug will need him!"

"Interesting twist, isn't it?" she heard Plagg remark. To her dismay, she heard Tikki giggle.

"Sorry, Marinette, but it's his choice. Just like it was yours," her kwami said.

"Three extra wheels when we get home, Plagg, if you make yourself scarce right now," Chat said lowly. His tone sent shivers down Marinette's back.

"Done! C'mon, Tikki!"

Marinette heard Tikki giggle again and then had a feeling she'd been abandoned and left alone with this man. And he wasn't planning to leave until he revealed himself to her. She trembled as she felt Chat pull her closer to him again and run his fingers through her hair.

"Plagg said the glamour magic would make it so we wouldn't recognize each other until we actively tried to show somebody, but… damn, I feel like I should've known. Look at me, Marinette," he said softly _. Oh God. His voice was so familiar. She knew him from somewhere. She was going to recognize it any second here and then he'd be totally screwed! His magic would fade until he wasn't able to become Chat Noir anymore, despite how much he loved it._

"Please, don't," she whimpered. "You'll hate me. You'll hate me for taking this from you."

"No, I won't! It's my choice. Now, do I need to tell you my name, or are you just gonna look—"

She quickly jerked her arms out of his grasp and clamped her hands around her ears. She felt him laugh as he pressed his forehead against hers.

"God, you're so stubborn," he said fondly. To her dismay, she could still hear him. "As stubborn as the day I met you."

 _Damn straight_ , she thought, and started singing the newest Jagged Stone single to keep herself from hearing any more of what he _thought_ he had to say. _Eventually he'd give up and go home, right? Patience had never been his greatest virtue. She could use that!_

She felt him laugh and put his hands on her hips, starting to sway to the music. Soon he was pulling her close, gently-but-firmly guiding her to dance with him as he started singing along with her. She found herself following him easily, hypnotized by the slow-rocking motion and the low hum that was his voice. Her voice caught as her heart ached again.

 _Oh God, he was so perfect. So wonderful._ She wanted to open her eyes. Hell, she wished she could give him back those five years somehow. Maybe tell him that she loved him back when they started all this. But, back then it wouldn't be true. She'd still had Adrien back then. Even though a part of her had known, even back then, just how unobtainable the model was. _Ugh._ It'd certainly taken her long enough to figure out her own damn heart.

"You missed the second verse, princess," she heard Chat mutter in her ears as his hand came up to brush away tears she hadn't even realized had fallen. Her breath caught. _She could still hear him just fine, dammit!_ She took a breath so she could sing louder, but froze when she felt his lips brush her cheek.

"What are you afraid of, Bug?" he asked, almost directly in her ear. "Is it me?"

"Of course not!" she exclaimed. "I love you! I just want you to be happy! And you're happiest as Chat Noir!"

"I'm happiest with _you_ ," he countered. Marinette snorted in disbelief.

 _Who would possibly pick_ _ **her**_ _over a lifetime of superpowers and saving the world?_ To her surprise, he kissed her cheek, just long enough to not be platonic.

"You can't be doubting my feelings for you?" he murmured against her skin as he kissed away her tears. "I've been telling you I was in love with you for years now."

 _Apparently,_ _ **he**_ _would. He would pick_ _ **her**_ _…._

"You've been in love with Ladybug," Marinette choked out, her hands falling from her ears unconsciously. "And soon I won't _be_ Ladybug anymore. Please, Chat. It would be wrong to deny you the chance to fall in love with the new girl."

He snorted. "Not likely."

"You deserve someone as amazing as you are, Chat," she said. "Someone who loves the thrill of the Miraculouses and the call of battle. I've just… gotten old and worn."

"You're eighteen," he deadpanned.

"I'm well aware," she said, just as dryly. "And I need to start thinking about university and internships soon, not just what those jerk-critics say every time we pull a move they don't like. Or whether the news anchors think I'm gaining weight because I'm pregnant or some crap like that because they can't report on anything more interesting."

"Mmm, that _would_ be interesting," he murmured.

"Oh, don't you dare start," she growled, unable to glare at him because she still refused to look. "I've had the last three reporters asking me when I'm due. Then the whole Ladyblog blew up on fat-shaming when I told them I wasn't. Alya had a feminist field day!"

Chat laughed, kissing her hair. "I can always Cataclysm the news building."

"Don't tempt me."

"Maybe you just need a pick-me-up," he suggested softly. "A new relationship between us would keep things _interesting_ , no?" His hands ran down her sides sensually. She shivered. She couldn't deny his idea was appealing. And she really did want to be with him. But….

"I've already revealed myself, Chat," she reminded him. "I'm going to lose the magic soon."

"All the more reason for you to open your eyes, Marinette," he murmured, leaning in close to her again.

"No. And I _will_ sing again," she warned him, bringing her hands back up to her ears. "Loudly and more obnoxiously than before!"

"You're really not gonna let me tell you my name?"

"Nope," she said firmly, letting the "p" pop for emphasis.

"It's _my_ secret to share," he reminded her.

"And I'm doing this for _you_ ," she argued right back.

He hummed and pulled away from her, but since she was still close enough, she could feel him digging in his pocket for something. _What was he—?_ He grabbed one of her hands, and she started to sing as long and as loudly as she needed to, until he got the hint that he was _not going to tell her his name, damn it_ , but instead of whispering into her ear, she felt him press something hard into her hand, closing her fingers around it.

"What? What are—?" She stilled, barely stopping herself from opening her eyes to see what he'd given her. Beads? A string of beads? She traced the engraving on one with her thumb and felt her breath leave her in a rush.

 _Oh God_.

 _No way._

 _He'd been closer than she'd ever thought possible._

The charm fell from her nerveless fingers as her hands fell away from her ears. They didn't need to be covered _. He'd tricked her, damn him, and she was too shocked to be mad about it._ She felt a breeze as Chat quickly moved to catch the beads before they hit the ground.

"Hey, careful! This is one of my most prized possessions! I've kept it with me every day since you gave it to me," Chat confessed as she heard him put it back in his pocket. "It may have gotten a bit beaten up over time, but I've tried to take good care of it. My Lucky Charm."

 _There was only one boy she'd given a Lucky Charm like that to._

She couldn't breathe.

"Now, say my name, Mari, so I can kiss you already."

 _No. No. No, it wasn't possible._

"Adrien?"

He kissed her.

* * *

End Chapter 2.

 _A/N: Edited to include the actual Chinese words and characters. Yes, Chat's swearing is actually Chinese. Well, sorta. The phrases are taken from one of my other favorite shows:_ _Firefly_ _, (I'm not associated with them either!) where they swear very creatively at each other in Chinese. If he ever watched it, you know Adrien would be all over that._

 _If you type these into Google Translate, you'll mostly get a bunch of nonsense, but I have been assured that they got actual speakers of Mandarin to come up with these phrases. And quite honestly, as someone who uses Google, I'll trust the actual people. Yeah, you're welcome for the pronunciations. Use this knowledge wisely._

 _Gǒu shǐ (Go-se): shit (boring, but standard)_ _狗屎_

 _Qīngwā cāo de liúmáng (Ching-wah TSAO duh liou mahng): Frog-Humping Son of a Bitch (I needed something shocking and creative.)_ _青蛙操的流氓_

 _Wǒ de mā hé tā de fēngkuáng de wàishēng dōu (Wuh duh ma huh tah duh fong kwong duh wai shung): Holy Mother of God and All Her Wacky Nephews_ _(My personal favorite.)_ _我的媽和她的瘋狂的外甥都_


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Miraculous. This isn't Y-7 anymore, kiddos. Will all innocents please exit the fic in a calm and orderly manner. And all kiddos. It's just adults doing adult stuff, ya know...  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The Climax** _(pun completely intended. High five, Chat.)_

Now, when I say he kissed her, I feel like I should clear some things up.

The first kiss was simple. Quick. A smile and a _ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!_

She finally opened her eyes to see Adrien ( _HOLY SHIT, ADRIEN AGRESTE_ ) standing there, right in front of her face, grinning at her in all his radiant glory. Perfect, and beautiful, and his-hair-was-pulled-up-into-his-signature-ponytail-now, but oh-God-that-was-Chat's-smile—And then, before she could comprehend that Earth-shattering bit of information, and before he'd even completely pulled back from the first kiss, he cupped her face in both hands, pulled her against him, and claimed her mouth fiercely.

Marinette could only gasp and follow his lead as five years of pent-up sexual tension were suddenly unleashed on her. Adrien backed her up against a wall, even as she kissed him back. Her knees went weak and she clutched at him desperately, wrapping her arms around his neck when he pressed himself against her. His hands raced down her body, cupping her rear and lifting her up, taking her weight almost effortlessly.

 _Whoa, whoa! Wait, what?_ Part of her brain short-circuited at the thought of _Adrien_ ( _Adrien-fucking-AGRESTE!_ ) being so forceful and primal with her—he'd pushed her against a wall! Albeit, he'd been gentle enough that it hadn't hurt at all, but the thought of it still made her gasp… and Holy Hell, was he _growling_ in satisfaction as his mouth moved over hers?

 _Damn, that was hot._

 _But still, it was_ ** _Adrien_** _… and Adrien was_ ** _Chat_** , she reminded herself dumbly. _The man who dove into danger gleefully with a grin on his face._

 _Oh, I am in so much trouble,_ she thought, as his hands lifted her skirt up to bunch around her hips, somehow guiding her legs around his waist at the same time. _And I am going to love every minute of it._ She pushed his head away just enough to take a breath.

"Adrien," she gasped out, both of them panting even as they stared at each other. And then, as if some unspoken signal had passed between them, in the next instant, they were both pulling each other closer, their lips meeting feverishly.

"My lady, my princess, I should've known, I should've known," Adrien murmured in between kisses before diving in to suck on her bottom lip. She gasped and opened her mouth, jumping a bit when he eagerly accepted her invitation and deepened the kiss, his hands moving to pull her more firmly against him.

Marinette hissed at the heat and pressure now pressed against her core before Adrien started nipping and sucking at her lips again, coaxing her tongue to play. She responded readily, her head still spinning as he continued to kiss her breathless. For a few moments, they reveled in tasting each other. And she gave as good as she got. Playing and teasing, and _taking_ ….

But air was necessary, and she finally had to push him away again, gulping in lungfuls of oxygen. Adrien, however, had apparently mastered the art of breathing while kissing, and refused to let her go completely.

"I have wanted to do this for so long," he whispered, trailing kisses down her neck.

She groaned and whimpered, even as she tilted her head back to grant him more access. She clutched at the back of his head for some sense of control. But really, she'd lost it a while ago. The feel of him. The _taste_ of him. _Chat. Adrien._ The two boys she'd loved for years now were one and the same. And the emotions she'd felt for both of them had somehow combined, multiplied, and hit her like a ton of bricks. The crush she'd had on Adrien before was nothing compared to this. The love she'd felt for Chat before was a light breeze in the face of the hurricane now spinning around her head. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Her world had been reduced to him, and only him.

And he'd loved her too! She could literally _taste_ the desperation and fire that drove him. And if _that_ wasn't a heady feeling… knowing, finally _knowing_ for certain how much he'd loved her _for so long_ ….

"Oh _, fuck_ ," Marinette groaned, as Adrien sucked lightly on her neck. She felt her own heart jump, as if it could leap out of her chest and into its rightful place in his arms. _She was his. Completely his. She'd always been his. She'd been lost before she'd even known it._

She felt him smile against her and he pulled away, gently unwrapping her legs from his waist, setting her on the ground again, and smirking.

"As my lady wishes," he said, pulling his shirt over his head. Marinette blinked at him stupidly for a moment, then she realized what she'd just said. But it was too late. She gaped at him, intending to protest that _she hadn't meant it like that!_ when— _oh, boy_ —she caught sight of his chest and her words left her.

Adrien laughed at the look on her face as he tossed his shirt away and stepped back, opening his arms and turning so she could see all of him.

"See something you like?"

 _Hot damn, yes, she did._ She'd expected her partner to be fit, but gods above, Adrien was chiseled. _That was so not fair._ Toned and tanned and so perfect… she'd forgotten how to breathe again. Her mouth moved, but she was pretty sure no sounds were coming out of it.

 _Was it possible to drool when your mouth felt dry?_

 _And why was he looking at her like that and licking his lips? Oh, nooo, don't come any closer, my heart can't take it!_ He sauntered back over to her, leaning down and gently brushing her cheek with his hand.

"Chaise or bed?" he asked quietly.

"Huh?" she looked at him wildly.

"Chaise lounge, or your bed?" he repeated slowly. She gulped. _Surely, he didn't mean…._ "You're the one who lured me here, _Mari_ , with the idea of being my girlfriend," he reminded her, his tone teasing, but the heat in his eyes not dimming in the least. She flushed and opened her mouth again to say she hadn't meant it that way, but the look he was giving her made all her thoughts go blank.

"And you can't _really_ expect me to see you looking at me like _that_ without wanting to do something about it," Adrien flicked her chin up with a finger so she wasn't gaping at him anymore. Marinette licked her lips nervously and swore his eyes gleamed as he watched her.

"Now, I will happily take you up against this wall if you want," he growled lowly, coming close enough to breathe in her ear. She trembled as he lightly brushed her neck with his lips. He was barely touching her, and her skin felt like it was on fire! "But you deserve something a bit more comfortable for our first time. So, choose."

 _Holy—, he was serious! Not that she didn't want it, but…._ She glanced at the chaise lounge. She had no doubt, if she chose it, he'd have her on it in the blink of an eye. He'd been waiting long enough as it was. Patience had never been Chat's forte, and it'd been _five years_ ….

She was half-surprised he hadn't torn her clothes off and ravished her already. _Ohhh, and that thought set her blood racing even faster. Yes. Yes, please!_ His hands were clenching and unclenching like he was forcibly holding himself back. But the wall was hard, and the chaise was tiny, really, and….

She swallowed. "Bed."

His eyes gleamed. The smile he gave her was predatory. She trembled as he took her hand and brought it to his lips. Just a kiss, one he'd done a thousand times, but it made her heart race now.

"Ladies first," he said, bowing to her and gently guiding her towards the stairs of her bed so that she was leading him. She gulped and allowed it, but kept him in her sights, not entirely sure she wanted to turn her back on him when he was in predator-mode….

 _Was this really happening?_

"Hold up," he said, just before she reached her stairs. He turned her so her back was completely to him. Marinette's heart skipped a beat. "We need to take this dress off. It's already tried to kill you on those stairs once." She felt his hand at the zipper on her back and paled as she suddenly remembered something….

"Adrien, wait!"

Too late, he pulled the zipper down even as she whirled, quickly clutching the fabric of her dress to her chest so it wouldn't fall down and reveal… _Oh fuck! This was so embarrassing!_ She'd worn them as a private joke. It was supposed to be her own little secret as she chatted with her partner. He never had to know just how much she cared. She hadn't meant for it to go this far tonight! If ever! She certainly hadn't _ever_ meant for him to _see_!

Adrien cocked his head to the side in confusion. "You don't want me?"

"No, I do!" Marinette protested, her face burning. He smiled and took a step towards her, but she backed up at the same time, until her foot hit the bottom of her ladder. "It's just… umm…. Why don't I go slip into something more comfortable?" she suggested, licking her lips nervously and trying for an innocent smile. Adrien smirked at her.

"As much as I want to see you in some outfits, princess, I don't think I'm going to last long as it is," he said, stepping closer again and pulling her arms apart so he could tug the dress the rest of way off her. "Right now, I just want you naked, in my arms, screaming my—oh, _what_ _is_ _this_?" he asked incredulously as his eyes lit up in delight.

"Embroidery practice?" Marinette whimpered as Adrien reached up to trace the neon-green cat's paw she'd meticulously sewn onto the cup of her black bra. His eyes shot to hers with a heated glance. "You weren't supposed to see any of them," she whined, as he bent down so he was eye-level with them. Embarrassment quickly gave way to chills and she moaned softly as she felt him kiss his mark.

"Princess, you've been hiding something so purr-fect," he sighed, nuzzling her chest. Her breath caught as the action sent a pleasant shiver down her spine. "Wait, _them_?" He looked up at her in surprise.

She bit her lip, her legs crossing nervously, giving her away before she could say anything. He glanced down and his smile was positively wicked as he sank to his knees in front of her, pulling her hands away from her panties. Her underwear had more green cat's paws, littler, but all over the fabric. Adrien took a deep, steadying breath, resting his head against her stomach. "Oh, mon dieu, thank you for this blessing." Marinette couldn't hold back a snort of laughter.

"What, no more long, quirky phrases in Mandarin?" she asked teasingly.

"I would," he gulped, "but I'm finding it hard to think _at all_ in the face of… _this_ ," he said, gesturing to her panties. She flushed as he grinned up at her. "There needs to be a big one, front and center," he teased. She looked away.

"My dress was too see-thru for that one. You would've noticed it."

She heard Adrien suck in his breath. "You-you have one?"

Marinette winced again. "It was just an experiment to see how noticeable light colors can be under darker colors!" she protested, still unable to look him in the eye. "And there's an extra layer and extra steps you have to add, to make sure the embroidery thread doesn't show or start to itch on—well…." She quickly bit her tongue before she could ramble any further.

"How many of these do you have?"

"Um…."

"Oh my God, _how many_?" he repeated, sounding slightly desperate as he stood up again and loomed over her.

"Six pieces are done, three more in progress," she admitted, focusing on his shoulder instead of his face. "I thought nine would be appropriate for a cat-themed set…."

"You're trying to kill me…," he muttered. He closed his eyes and shook his head at her, taking a deep breath. "Welp, Mari, I hope you didn't ever want to have another boyfriend," he said. She scowled at him. _What did he—_ Then she yelped as he scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, already climbing the stairs to her bed. "Because you are _mine,_ woman."

Adrien deposited her on the mattress, kneeling next to her and furiously unbuckling his pants. Halfway through, he let out a whine and bent down for another scorching kiss, as though he couldn't bear to be away from her for long. Then he tore his pants the rest of the way off and tossed them to the floor. Marinette looked away, flushing when she realized he had nothing on underneath. Or he'd somehow shucked his underwear off with the pants. Either way, he was now completely naked, and crawling towards her on her bed. _Oh, fuck, that cat-like prowl…_ She quickly looked away from his lower body, telling herself to focus on his face to calm herself.

That also turned out to be a mistake. Her blood quickened at the intensity in his eyes as he loomed over her. Green fire burned into her. She took a deep breath as heat pooled in her center.

"I-I've never…," she stammered, trying to grasp some semblance of sanity. His smile turned feral.

"Then you're _all_ mine," he purred, pulling her head up to him for a fierce kiss. Marinette melted, sure she was quickly becoming addicted to the way he tasted. But, as quickly as it started, Adrien ended it, kissing his way fervently down her neck.

"And I'm going to mark you here," his hand flicked over her bra, making her gasp, "and here," his hand danced down her stomach, giving her chills, "and here," his hand stopped just above her panties and he fixed her with another heated stare and he leaned in closer to her. "And everywhere," he whispered. She whimpered when he didn't touch her, like she'd expected him to. Like she wanted him to. _Oh God, did she want it._

"I am going to make you _scream_ my name," he murmured in her ear, nipping at the skin around her earring. His hands slid back up her body, leaving tiny trails of fire in their wake. She sucked in her breath as he pulled her up just enough to try to unclasp her bra in the back.

 _That wasn't going to be hard,_ she thought, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his hair, feeling the warmth of him and breathing in his scent. _She was already on Cloud Nine._ He smelled like spices, and the wind above the rooftops, and strangely enough, some sort of cheese….

It was kind of strange to associate Adrien with these things. And he was acting so much like Chat… _Wait. Could that be what he was going for?_ She couldn't help the laugh that bubbled out of her as she decided to test it.

"Which one?" she asked, just as he gave a frustrated snarl to the clasps he was trying to unhook. He pulled back and looked at her in surprise. Marinette grinned at him, brushing some of his loose hair back.

"Which name do you want me to use?" she clarified. He gave a little laugh of his own, his green eyes twinkling.

"You even have to ask me that?" he asked, gently pushing her back down onto her soft mattress. Then he reached up and pulled the tie from his hair, making it fall around his face in Chat Noir's wild, loose hairstyle. He swept it back with one hand before bending down and rubbing his cheek all over her bra again. She yelped and squirmed as the chills returned in full force. The sensation of him rubbing against her, combined with the light tickle from his hair against her skin… she shivered beneath him, making him chuckle as he kissed her bra again.

"You're laying here like a gift-wrapped present from the gods, with my symbol all over you!"

 _Well, when he put it that way…._ It was definitely Chat who grinned up at her from her cleavage.

"Adrien can have you later, princess," he declared. "Tonight, you're all mine. Besides," he added, sitting up and straddling her, " _Adrien_ would never have the nerve to do _this_!" He grabbed the center of her bra with both hands and ripped it apart.

"Chat!" she cried as the pieces of the bra fell off her, revealing everything. "What did you—!"

"Oh, much better," he purred, bending down and latching onto her nipple. Marinette yelped as he suckled her, his hand already coming up to massage her other breast as he went to work on her. Then she was gripping his hair and mewling, her body writhing beneath him as he licked, and nibbled, and suckled her, his hand mimicking his motions on the other breast. Her body, already over-sensitized just by being in his presence and that world-shaking reveal, responded eagerly to his every caress. _He wasn't the only one who'd been waiting five years, after all._ She cried out, cursing, as heat and electricity shot through her body to coil between her legs.

"Oh God, Chat," she moaned, carding her hands through his hair like she'd always wanted to. He growled in approval and quickly moved his mouth over to her other nipple. She couldn't help the little scream that escaped her as he gave it the same treatment as the other one, his other hand quickly coming up to tease and tweak the breast he'd left behind. She felt her back arch and her hips buck instinctively, _wanting, wanting, wanting…._ "Please, Chat, please!" she begged.

"Underwear," he agreed, releasing her breasts to shift over her again. Before she could protest, she heard the sound of ripping fabric and a rush of cool air on her nether regions.

"You—"

"My control is _gone_ ," Chat admitted, crawling up her body again until his head was level with hers. She moaned, realizing that other certain body parts were also aligned. Her blood pounded in her veins as he nudged her legs open and settled in between them. Oh God, she wanted, _needed_ him right now…. "Especially with you making those amazing sounds. We'll have to do this better next time."

He gave her a deep kiss as he lined himself up, and then, before she could say anything, he drove into her with one smooth thrust.

"CHAT!" she screamed, clutching him as her body instantly shattered around him. His own cry was muffled into her neck as he buried himself to the hilt and went still above her.

Chest heaving, Marinette wrapped her legs around him, a bit mortified at how quickly he'd brought her to completion, even as her body continued to spasm around him. Not that it wasn't completely amazing, especially when he was still inside her… _wow, was that a strangely-comfortable feeling._ There was definitely something foreign inside her, and she was full in a way she never had been before, but at the same time, she felt complete. But then she noticed Chat wasn't moving, his breath coming in shallow pants. _Surely, surely he was ready…._

"Chat?" she asked softly.

"Fuck," he muttered against her. Suddenly, Marinette realized what had happened and started giggling.

"Did you cum already?"

"Yes," he groaned.

"Me too," she admitted.

"Ugh, years of—wait, really?" Chat asked hopefully, blinking at her.

"Mmm hmm," she affirmed, running her hands through his long hair and down his back, feeling him relax against her. "You can't really blame me, though. I had this gorgeous superhero all over me. I had no chance whatsoever." He chuckled, lifting himself up and withdrawing from her. She fought the urge to pout at the feeling of loss.

"And I had this amazing woman beneath me," he said, cupping her face, "moving against me and making _the_ most _purr_ -fect sounds I've ever heard." He gave her a long, lingering kiss and then pulled back to smile at her. "I've been chasing her for five long years now, and she suddenly up and offered me everything. I had to take it, and take it quick."

"Well," Marinette smirked, "mission accomplished. Pound it?" She offered him her fist. Chat threw his head back and howled with laughter. It was a few moments before he could finally tap it with his own.

"I don't think we realized how dirty that sounded back when we were kids," he said, still chuckling.

"Definitely not," she agreed.

"Is this how we're ending all akuma fights from now on?" he asked with a grin. Marinette rolled her eyes and shook her head at him.

"Who says we need to wait for an akuma?" she asked coyly. Chat's whole face lit up in delight.

"Good," he said, kissing her again. "Because I'm not leaving until I've completely made up for that appalling lack of control just now." She snorted.

"You mean the part where you literally tore apart _hours_ of hard work?" she asked impishly, mock-scowling at him.

"No, _that_ I meant to do," he said, unrepentantly. "It had to be done, especially if I'm actually gonna give this up." He said, looking down at his ring.

Marinette's smile faded. "Chat, I really didn't mean for—"

"I know," he said softly. "But you have to try to see it from my perspective. Running alongside some other girl, dressed up in your spots?" He shook his head with a look of disgust. "No. Just, no. It makes me nauseous just thinking about it."

Marinette sighed, pulling him closer for a hug. She really hadn't meant for it to turn out like this. "I'm sorry," she said softly. Above her, he chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"Worth it," Chat murmured in her ear, settling in close to her. "So worth it." She shivered at his tone and felt him hum. "I get the feeling my little Lovebug isn't as satisfied as she's leading me to believe."

"Huh?" she said, looking at him wildly. She felt his hand tracing a path down her stomach and sucked in her breath. "No, no, I am!" she insisted, even as she felt her body reacting to his light touch, warmth coiling in her stomach already. She licked her lips as her mouth went dry when he touched her. Now there was a smirk on his face that made her face flame. _Oh, he was enjoying this way too much._

"Why, you—AH!" Marinette cried out as he dipped a finger inside her. "Chat, I'm fine! I'm—"

"Sensitive," he hissed in her ear, adding another finger. She choked and cried out as he started moving them inside her; teasing her with slow circles.

"Chat, please," she gasped. She couldn't help but moan when he started moving them faster, deeper inside her. "Oh my God, please!"

"More?" he asked. She yelped as her hips bucked on their own. Something was already building inside her again…. He chuckled and rewarded her involuntary movement by curling his fingers inside her.

"Ohhhh," Marinette groaned and then quickly covered her mouth with both her hands.

 _Shit, her parents were home! They could probably hear everything!_ She felt Chat move above her, withdrawing his fingers, and took a deep breath in relief. _Oh thank—_ And then he was pulling her hands away from her mouth, pinning them above her head as he glowered at her. She gulped. He truly looked predatory right now. And she was his prey.

"I already told you, princess, I want to hear you scream," he tsked at her.

"But, my parents… they're right downstairs," she whispered.

Chat scoffed at her. "If they didn't hear you earlier, they won't hear you now," he pointed out. "And if they _did_ hear you… well, I'm sure they already know what we're doing." He gave her a saucy wink and slowly walked his fingers down her body to her center again, humming to himself happily.

"Now, no holding back." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek as his fingers gently rubbed against her folds. She whimpered and bit her lip to keep from crying out _. God, everything he was doing felt so good…._ He paused and she looked up to see him scowling at her.

" _Princess_ ," he growled, bringing his hand back up to remove her lip from her teeth.

"Sorry, sorry," she said quickly, "it was just a natural reaction to… what the—!" She smelled the scent of her own arousal on his fingers and shied away from it. _Okay, that was weird, did she smell like that?_ He snickered at her reaction.

"Don't like it?" he teased, lifting it to his own mouth, breathing it in deeply and then giving them a long, sultry lick. Her face flamed _. That should_ ** _not_** _be a turn-on. That should be gross, but when he did it, looking like he was enjoying the scent and taste of her…._

"Mmm, essence of Marinette," he purred, coming closer and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. "If you won't scream for me voluntarily, my lady, it looks like I'm going to have to draw it out of you the hard way."

Marinette gulped. "I hope you don't mean with bondage or pain or anything like that," she said nervously, glancing up to where he was still holding her hands prisoner above her head. "I'm not really into that kind of thing."

"Nope," Chat chuckled, releasing her. He gave her a grin. "It just means I have to go to the source!" Then, before she could protest, his weight above her vanished as he scooted down between her legs, giving the inside of her thigh a quick kiss, followed by a long lick.

She squealed in surprise, and her hips instinctively arched to get away from the foreign feeling. Unfortunately, it seemed he had anticipated that action, and he quickly grasped her by the hips before she could get away from him, pulling her back down to where he wanted her and spreading her legs even further apart. She looked down to see his green eyes nearly glowing at her in amusement, even as he lowered his head towards her.

"Chat, wait!" she cried. "You don't have to!" He gave her a mischievous smirk.

"What if I really, _really_ want to?" he said, slowly sinking down further.

"But, it's—it's…."

"Cream," he purred. She couldn't help the undignified squawk that came out of her when she felt him lick her folds. Or the cries that followed when he continued to lap at her, over and over again. She cursed and writhed against him, unable to control it anymore as her hands dug into his hair on instinct.

"Oh, you've been holding out on me," he growled lowly, after a particularly long cry. She couldn't help it. It felt so weird, so foreign, but at the same time— _so good._ He was setting her on fire and making her shiver all at once.

"Please, Chat, please," she panted. "You made your point—AHH, FUCK YES!" she screamed as his tongue probed deeper. He chuckled against her. That same coiling feeling was getting stronger. "You don't have to—Oh! OH!" Her screams were getting louder, she realized, but she couldn't really be blamed. His tongue was now inside her, doing the most incredible things, and he'd just grabbed her ass, kneading it even as he used his position to keep her in place.

And then, she couldn't hold back her screams any more as he sank two fingers inside her. She threw her head back even as he continued to lick— _and oh heaven, was he sucking on her?—_ thrusting them deeper and deeper. She shrieked as her body bucked and finally surrendered against his onslaught. Marinette felt, rather than heard, Chat moan in satisfaction as she came around him. She covered her eyes with her hands and sobbed in bliss. But her breath came out in a shudder when he started licking her again.

"Please, please, no more," she whimpered, letting her hands fall back against the sheets. "I'm begging you, Chat. Mercy." He chuckled and finally removed his mouth and fingers, wiping himself clean as she relaxed, breathing deeply.

"Your wish is my command, princess," he said, climbing back up her body to lay down beside her. "But I should warn you," he added, propping himself up on an elbow and brushing back her hair, "you've only got a temporary reprieve. Those cries of yours have already partially revived me." She groaned and glanced down to see that, sure enough, his cock was already half erect. Her face flamed as he snickered at her.

"I'm not going to sleep any time soon, am I?" Marinette asked, laughing breathlessly, running her fingers down his arms.

Chat shook his head as he curled up against her side, throwing one leg over her possessively. "Five _years_ , my lady," he said solemnly. "Five years of chasing you in that God-damned, _skin-tight_ suit, wanting— _wishing_ you'd let me push you up against a rooftop somewhere, _anywhere_ …."

She laughed, blushing a bit at the thought. "Not a chance, kitty. That'd be very unprofessional," she said, mock-scolding him and tweaking his nose. "Not to mention, you weren't much better, dressed up in tight black leather, playing with that damn bell-zipper when you thought nobody was looking!"

"Oh, you saw that!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "I thought you had, the way you were blushing later!"

"The cameras caught it too, you exhibitionist," she growled, shaking her finger at him. He nipped at it playfully.

"Nobody saw anything," he grinned impishly. "I know how to work around camera angles." He gave her a wink as he started to put his hair back up in a ponytail. God, it was so disconcerting to see Chat's mannerisms on Adrien's face….

She groaned and covered her face as that thought was quickly followed by another.

"Chat, I have a confession to make," she said slowly, peeking through her fingers. Yup, he definitely looked like Adrien again. _Oh, Hellfire…._

"Oooookay…. Am I gonna like this confession?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and sounding a bit worried.

"I honestly don't know," she laughed. She bit her lip uncertainly and glanced at him, unable to stop the wry smile on her face as the reality of their situation came crashing down on her.

"Yikes," he said, biting his own lip. "Now I'm really worried. Well, never let it be said that Chat Noir is a scaredy cat. Lay it on me, my lady." He said, looking like he was bracing himself for the worst.

She giggled a bit. "Umm… well… you see…," she drawled, drawing it out.

"You're killing me, Mari."

"There's another reason why I didn't want Ladybug to fall in love with Chat Noir," she said quickly, before she could stop herself. Chat raised an eyebrow and cocked his head at her curiously. She had his attention now. Marinette squeezed her eyes shut.

"And it's because her civilian-self… had a major crush on a certain blond model who sat in front of her in class," she admitted, peeking an eye open to see his reaction. He froze. "She was totally convinced she was in love. But she was never able to tell him how she felt. Otherwise, she might've been willing to give Chat Noir a chance." He stared at her for a moment, his jaw slowly dropping as he processed this new information.

He opened his mouth a couple of times to speak, but no sound came out. Finally, like her, he had to close his eyes to get the words out.

"Are—are you telling me… I've been cockblocking _myself_ for the past five years?" he asked incredulously.

"Surprise," she said weakly.

He swore, burying his face in her neck.

"I am so sorry," Marinette said, her hands coming up to stroke his hair. "I should've confessed to you years ago—"

"That wouldn't have worked either, princess!" he laughed against her neck. "Adrien would've turned you down if you'd asked him out. He was in love with Ladybug!"

"We were screwed either way, huh?"

"Mmm," Chat agreed. He propped himself back up on one elbow, looking at her with fondness in his eyes. "And to think, back then I thought my father isolating me again was maybe a good thing, because I found myself thinking about a certain shy classmate more and more instead of daydreaming about Ladybug like I _should've_ been," he murmured, running his hands through her hair again. Marinette stared at him, feeling her face heat up.

"Really?"

"Really," he assured her. "You are way too cute for your own good, princess. I was about ready to take you up on your offer earlier, even before you revealed yourself to me." She licked her lips, feeling her mouth go dry again. So, she hadn't been imagining things.

"And now?" she asked.

"Now?" he repeated. "I was serious earlier. If you've got another boyfriend, I suggest you call him up and tell him you have to let him go. After that declaration of love earlier, you're not getting rid of me, ever. Not even with all the Lucky Charms in the world."

Marinette laughed. "A Lucky Charm wouldn't work at keeping you away," she said, stroking his hair again. "Not when I want to keep you forever."

"Fur-ever and always," he purred, nuzzling her cheek.

She huffed. "I'm stuck with the puns, aren't I?"

"We're a packaged deal," he said, nodding. "Besides, you love my wit. Don't deny it."

"I love all of you," she said, tweaking his nose. "But in the battle of wits, my knight, I'm afraid you're only half-armed."

"Ooo," he laughed, miming a blow, "I walked right into that one."

They laughed together, cuddling closer, and Adrien even pulled up one of her blankets to cover themselves in. Then he sighed and looked at his ring again before meeting her eyes.

"Only one thing left to do," he said softly. He looked around her room and sucked in his breath.

"All right, Plagg," he called loudly. "Gross-human-mating-ritual is over. Come out and tell us how this is going to work!"

* * *

End Chapter 3.

 _A/N: (runs away as she throws gratuitous smut at you sinners) Yes, I know Chat said he was up for Round 2, but he got distracted by shiny objects! Don't blame me! Unless it's grammar errors, and then yes, blame me. More is coming soon—wait, sorry! More is CUMMING soon! Sorry if I'm not ON TOP of my pun game.  
_

 _All criticism, comments, questions, and misc. screaming is loved!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Guys, I mean it. If you're not legal, this is where your innocence comes to die. Ah, what the hell, if you've made it this far… don't say I didn't warn you!_

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Falling Action**

"Ugh," Marinette heard Chat's (Adrien's) kwami grumble from across the room, " _humans_. I will _never_ understand the need to procreate."

"Which we are all very, _very_ thankful for," Tikki sang lightly. Marinette covered her mouth with her hand, but Adrien chuckled outright.

"Can you imagine… mini-Plaggs?" he said, covering his eyes in horror. Then he suddenly froze and looked down at her. "Oh, _shit_ —I didn't even think! We didn't use any protection!"

"It should be all right. I'm on the pill," Marinette offered softly, reaching up and stroking his hair back in an effort to calm his sudden panic attack. He took a deep breath and relaxed a bit, leaning into her touch.

"Still, I am _so_ sorry," Adrien said. "I'll be prepared next time, I swear!"

Marinette smirked. "What? You mean you _didn't_ come to my balcony with the intent of seducing me?" she gasped dramatically. "The nerve!"

"An oversight that shall never happen again, my lady," he promised solemnly, kissing her hand again. "I shall seduce you every chance I get from now on!"

"Ahem! I thought you two said you were done," Plagg grumbled. Adrien growled at his kwami, but Marinette just giggled and drew her hand away.

"He's right," she reminded her lover, "you did call him down."

"Fine," Adrien sighed, rolling his eyes. He sat up and rearranged himself more comfortably on her bed, raising an eyebrow at the giant cat pillow that still stretched out across her bed. "What's this? A rival already, huh?"

"You leave him alone," Marinette growled, tapping him on nose. "He's been here a lot longer than you have."

"You and I will talk later," Adrien told the helpless plushie, possessively pulling Marinette back into his arms. She dragged the covers up with her and arranged them so they were both covered and seated comfortably. Adrien kissed her hair and breathed in deeply.

"Okay, Plagg," Adrien said with a happy sigh, "tell us more about how we pass on our powers. Then my lady can make a plan for it and let me ravish her for the rest of the night." Marinette snorted and hit him lightly on the shoulder. He grinned at her unrepentantly. "Unless you tell me 'no,' princess, that's exactly what's gonna happen."

She shook her head at him, rolling her eyes. "Just pay attention so he doesn't have to explain it twice," she chided, tweaking his nose. "Otherwise, we'll lose more time for _later tonight_ …."

"Go, Plagg. I'm all ears," Adrien said quickly, immediately focused.

His kwami scoffed. "What exactly do you need to know?"

"Uh, how to pass on our Miraculouses now that we can't use them anymore? Is there a ceremony? A magic spell? Do we just hand them back over to the Guardian?"

"Well, that's the thing…," Plagg drawled slowly. He and Tikki shared a conspiratorial look and a grin.

" _You don't have to!_ " both kwamis exclaimed, beaming at them.

Marinette blinked. "But, Tikki, you said…."

"That you would lose your powers if you told anyone who you are," Tikki finished, nodding.

"Especially if I told Chat Noir," Marinette said, growing more confused by the second. She gestured to Adrien. "I told Chat Noir. What…? Tikki, did you _lie_ to me?"

"Not exactly. And now that's it's been done, we can explain more thoroughly," Tikki said, settling herself in the covers in front of them. "You two are two halves of the same whole. Creation and destruction. Good luck and bad luck. Yin and yang."

"Yeah, we know all that already," Adrien said, also looking confused.

"What you _don't_ know," Plagg said, "was that your powers were meant to combat each other as much as they are to support. You two could've easily become enemies instead of partners." Adrien and Marinette looked at each other in horror.

"But we didn't!" Marinette protested. "I could never—!"

"No way in Hell," Adrien breathed, wrapping his arms even tighter around Marinette.

"No, but a lot of past Cats and Bugs _have_ been enemies," Plagg said, sounding sad. "Some of them even started out as partners, and then betrayed each other." Disgust washed over Marinette at the very thought, and she felt Adrien's grip on her tighten. She gave his arm a squeeze to reassure him. She wasn't going _anywhere_.

"Those were some of the hardest deaths to take," Tikki said mournfully. "So, when Plagg and I were reunited years ago, we decided to make a pact that we built into our powers. Our Chosen would no longer be allowed to know each other's identities. If they revealed themselves, they would lose the magic. If they told anybody their partner didn't know about; they'd lose the magic. We figured, that way, they'd be less likely to betray each other. And, for a long time, it worked. But, we knew each relationship and each couple was different, so we added a caveat: if a pair decided to give up their powers in order to be together, because they wanted to be together more than they wanted the magic, we would allow them to keep their powers _and_ know each other's identities."

"A sort-of ' _true love conquers all'_ thing," Plagg said, rolling his eyes and smirking at them. Marinette and Adrien looked at each other again. Adrien smiled and pressed their foreheads together.

"Which is exactly what we did," he murmured. Marinette gave him a quick kiss.

"But, Tikki," she said, turning away to look at her kwami again, "why didn't you tell us about that little loophole?"

"Because, if I had, it wouldn't have worked," Tikki said simply. "Part of you would have expected him to make the same sacrifice, and in the end, you'd both know you weren't actually giving up anything at all. Magic is all about intent, Marinette. You had to think that you were truly losing the Ladybug powers in order to be with Chat Noir. And he had to think the same. No promises or expectations from what might happen. Just a true showing of trust and _love_."

It took a minute for Marinette to process that. They'd both thought they were losing that part of themselves completely. And had done it anyway. For each other.

And apparently, that's what made all the difference.

"Very sly," she said, smirking at her kwami. Tikki winked back.

"It's all about keeping the balance between you two," the kwami sang. "And of course, now that you're older and you understand your powers better, there's a few other tricks we can teach you too, which should make it easier to communicate and make you both even more formidable on the battlefield. Unless, of course, you still want to give up your Miraculous. It's still entirely your choice."

Marinette looked up at Adrien, unsurprised to see him staring at her, his eyes gleaming in the low light of her room. She knew what he wanted. He wanted them to continue to be Chat Noir and Ladybug. Partners, for as long as they could be. He still loved being a superhero. He loved the freedom and power than came with it. The knowledge that _he could make the world a better place_. Even she had to admit it was wonderful and heady. But…

She turned in his lap, her hand reaching up to the middle of his chest to lightly trace the area where a giant tree branch had stuck out of him just yesterday. She took a deep, shuddering breath. _Could she really go through that again? Even knowing she could be here for him afterwards?_ But before she could say anything, she felt his mouth by her ear as he buried his nose in her hair.

"There is _no one_ in this world who I would trust more to save me," Adrien whispered fervently her ear. She blinked back some tears. _She couldn't deny, she felt the same…._

"And if I wasn't Ladybug?" Marinette asked softly. "Would you still love me then?"

"No," he said simply. Her eyes flew up to his, surprised at his answer. "Because then you wouldn't be you," he clarified. He gave her a smile. "You _are_ Ladybug, princess, I was just too stupid and befuddled by glamour magic to see it before. It's part of who you are—who _we_ are. I'm still gonna tell bad jokes and cat puns, even without the cat ears, and call you my lady, and princess, and Buginette, and Bugaboo, and LoveBug, until you're ready to strangle me with, or without, that yo-yo of yours." Marinette giggled.

"You are _my_ Ladybug," he said softly. "And I have _loved_ our time together. If you decide to retire, that's your choice and I'll respect it. But please don't say you're not Ladybug anymore. And please don't ask me to try to forget that part of my life. You'll never _not_ be my Ladybug. The new girl can figure out a different name or something."

"You silly cat," Marinette laughed, pulling herself up under his chin. "What made you think I wanted to forget everything that's happened between us?"

"You were acting like you never wanted to hear the name Ladybug again, asking me if I'd love you without that part," he muttered mournfully. "I was already ready to give up my powers with you… what more do you want?"

"Oh, Chat, I'm sorry," Marinette said softly, guilt flooding her. "I didn't mean to make you feel that way. That came out wrong. I just—I guess I wanted some reassurance is all. That Marinette is still enough. Just Marinette. I've wondered for a while now… if you've only loved me because I'm Ladybug. The superhero with the powers."

Adrien frowned at her for a moment.

"Yup," he said decisively, nodding. "Yeah. You're right. I've only been in love with your powers. Not you." Marinette's jaw dropped.

"Tikki," he called over to the kwami, "you're the source of the Ladybug powers, right?" Tikki nodded, cocking her head at him questioningly. Adrien held his hand out to her and tossed his hair dramatically. "Oh, beloved, tiny goddess of spots and good luck—"

Plagg hissed at him. Tikki started giggling.

"—it is _you_ I've been dreaming of these past few years. You, who have filled my days with light and my nights with joy. Despite the (admittedly-beautiful) girl beside me, I confess, I do love you with all my heart—"

Marinette smacked him on the shoulder. Adrien just grinned at her and continued.

"—will you be mine forever?" he asked, looking every bit as cheesy as his words. Marinette was pretty sure, if this was an anime, he would be sparkling right now.

"Oh, for crying out loud," she muttered.

"Oh, dear, sweet Chat Noir—," Tikki began, sounding just as cheesy as Adrien, her eyes twinkling with mirth. She was immediately grabbed by Plagg from behind.

"She's spoken for!" Plagg hollered, wrapping his tail around Tikki's mouth and glowering at his Chosen.

Still giggling, Tikki managed to escape Plagg's grip on her. "Sorry, Adrien, you're too young for me!" she chirped, back to normal. Adrien pouted.

Marinette sighed. "Fine, fine, point taken," she said. Adrien grinned at her. "I know. I'm—I'm being silly. This is all so—it's a big decision, you know? I thought I had it all planned out, and now…." she shrugged.

"Now, we can have everything we want, and more?" he asked hopefully. She swallowed.

"Now I have to decide if I still want to be on the battlefield again," she corrected him.

"If it's any consideration, you look _amazing_ in spots," he grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. Marinette snorted.

"I don't know if the TV anchors agree with you…," she said, rolling her eyes. Adrien frowned and gathered her in his arms.

"I'm serious, Mari. Just say the word and the whole building goes bye-bye."

She laughed at the idea for a moment before taking a deep breath so she could think this through.

"What about our friends and family?" she asked, looking at both him and the kwamis. "They'll be in more danger now that our identities aren't as secure…."

"What, from one person knowing?" Adrien scoffed.

"It's still more than _none_ ," Marinette muttered. She blinked. "And what if the akumas suddenly realize just how much we mean to each other?" she asked, her panic growing. "I mean, if you suddenly start making out with me on the rooftops—hey, stop licking your lips, you stupid cat, I'm serious here!"

"So am I," he snickered. "This is the best plan you've ever come up with! Please continue!" He sobered a little when she continued to glare at him. "Okay, okay, so nothing changes between us in public," he said placatingly, sighing. "Can we at least drop hints to confuse and distract the reporters? That'll get them off our backs at least."

"That might work," Marinette agreed slowly, thinking. "But it won't help with our akuma problem."

"Actually, now that you two aren't maturing anymore and we don't have to worry about tampering with your growth, Plagg and I can help teach you two some mediation techniques to keep your minds concealed from the enemy," Tikki chimed in. "Even if you're captured, you shouldn't… have to… ummm…." She trailed off as Marinette slowly turned her head to fully glare at her kwami.

"You had this ability… to shield our minds from an enemy that _literally_ senses emotions," the girl growled slowly, "and you never mentioned anything until _now_?"

"You were too young before!" Tikki squeaked. "Having a younger Chosen means that you'll adapt to the power sooner, which means you'll get even more powerful as you go, but it also means we could potentially harm your growth if we give you too many abilities all at once!"

"Don't give me that look, kid," Plagg growled beside his mate, glaring back at his own Chosen. "We're doing it all for you."

Beside Marinette, Adrien lowered his own death glare from the kwamis, sighed and nuzzled her neck. "Can't change the past, Bugaboo," he reminded her.

"What else have you two been hiding?" Marinette asked the kwamis. They looked at each other and shrugged.

"A lot," they said together.

"Tikki, you and I are gonna have a _talk_ …," Marinette warned.

"But not tonight," Adrien quickly added, pulling her closer. Marinette twisted in his arms to tell him she needed to yell at her kwami, dammit— But she was cut off when she felt his lips on hers again; soft and warm and oh, so wonderful. He pulled back and grinned at her. "Tonight you're all mine, remember?" Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him shoo the kwamis with his free hand.

"Hey, wait, no… bad kitty!" she protested, lightly smacking his wandering hands. Adrien whimpered at her. "We are having a serious, grown-up conversation about serious, grown-up issues—CHAT!" she yelped as he nosed a sensitive part of her neck.

"Yes?" he asked innocently.

"See, see! _This_ is why it's not gonna work! You can't distract me like this on the battlefield! You'll get us both killed!"

Adrien pouted.

"Ugh, the kid's been fantasizing about you for years," Plagg drawled. "Just let him get it out of his system and things'll be better than ever. Then he won't be distracted on the battlefield either!"

Marinette gaped at the kwami for a moment before slowly looking at her partner.

"Plagg, remember how we had that conversation about talking too much?" Adrien groaned.

"Actually, he has a point," Tikki chimed in, looking at the two. "It's happened before, when other partners got together. After the initial… erm… 'honeymoon' is over, our Chosen don't usually have a hard time separating their personal lives from the battlefield. You know, once they got it out of their system."

"Honeymoon, huh?" Adrien said, waggling his eyebrows at Marinette and pulling her closer again.

"Don't get any ideas, you," she warned. "I'm not marrying you until I've at least landed a job!"

"Just so long as it's still on the table," he grinned, pushing her back down on the bed. "So for now, gratuitous fornication? All for Paris's sake, of course. We have to get past these raging hormones to be our best on the battlefield, after all." He nodded at her solemnly. "The immortal gods that power our suits suggested it themselves!"

"Why, you _shameless_ —!" Marinette howled with laughter as he gently lowered himself on top of her.

"Ah, geez, get a room." They could almost hear Plagg's eyeroll.

"Plagg, we are _literally_ on a bed, in a room," Adrien pointed out.

"Whatever, I'd better get more cheese."

"I already promised you more, now go back to wherever it is you hide to save your innocent kwami ears!"

" _Innocent_?" Plagg scoffed as Tikki slowly pushed him away, snickering. "Oh, please. You think you're the first Cat to fantasize about her yo-yo?"

"Wait, WHAT? My yo-yo?"

The exclamation burst out of Marinette before she could stop it. She could hear Plagg's snickers fading away as Tikki tugged him away. Above her, Adrien flushed dark red and looked away from her, rolling over to try to hide under the covers.

"Seriously?" she asked, surprised. She grabbed the covers tight so he couldn't hide under them. Adrien groaned and covered his eyes with both his hands.

"He's an idiot and he's lying and let's-not-talk-about-this-anymore," he said quickly.

"No, _let's_ ," Marinette smirked, following him and observing his blush was spreading. _Oh my, how cute._ "Is _this_ why you want me to keep being Ladybug?"

"Of course not!" Adrien exclaimed. "It's just a… a perk!"

Marinette covered her mouth to hold back her snickers.

"What kinds of dirty thoughts were you having, _mon petit chaton_?" she asked slyly. He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath. She raised an eyebrow. " _Chaaaaat_?" she pressed teasingly.

He gulped. "Did you know you have a very commanding Ladybug voice?" he asked, peeking through his fingers. "And I've seen you do some amazing things with that yo-yo… that, yes… I _may_ have wondered what it felt like."

She studied him for a moment before bursting out laughing.

"So, even though I don't have a thing for bondage and pain, it looks like you do, huh?" she teased.

"It's not a thing!" he protested, looking chagrined. "And no, not pain, I just…," he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I've just been locked up in my house for a long time with nothing but my imagination and the Internet, okay?" Marinette barely managed to smother her laughter with her hand.

"And a huge crush on Ladybug?"

"Exactly," Adrien said, nodding. He looked at her sideways and started twiddling his fingers nervously. "And, in my lonelier moments, I _may_ have thought about our suits and weapons in ways that were not _strictly_ safe for work," he confessed, wincing. This time, she buried her face in the pillow behind her to muffle her laughter.

"No, just no," she finally gasped out. "I have seen you stick that baton in some nasty-looking monsters, kitty. It's not going anywhere near my sensitive bits!"

He considered for a moment and then laughed, covering his face with his hands again. "Okay, fair enough, I didn't really think that one through."

"In fact, I don't think I'm going to be letting you do anything to me in that suit," Marinette said, thinking.

"What?! I can be careful!" Adrien protested.

"Your transformation phrase is literally, 'Claws out,' Adrien," Marinette deadpanned, taking his hand and playing with his fingertips. "And I have seen you dig into metal with those things."

Adrien laughed. "Right, like your unbreakable yo-yo string is any better."

"True," she acknowledged with a shrug. "Though what you expect me to do—you know what, don't answer that. I'm not ready to try it. Not just yet."

Adrien blinked at her in surprise. "But before, you said 'no' outright. And that's okay! I wasn't gonna push it—but, now you… might be willing to try it sometime?" he asked, looking tentatively hopeful.

Marinette thought about it for a moment. She'd never really thought much about kinky stuff before; the idea of handing over control like that; it was part of the reason she'd dismissed any sort of spicy ideas when she'd first started trying to discover what she liked. But if it was _Chat_ … well, she knew she could trust Chat. She trusted him with her life on a daily basis. And she was pretty sure that if she said no to anything, he'd accept it and move on… Like he had before. (In fact, that might be why he was blushing so much now, because she'd already said she wasn't into it and then Plagg went and outed him like that…) But the suits were a big part of their lives, and their relationship, so she couldn't really blame him for wanting to explore it a bit.

"We'll see," she finally agreed . "For now, let's take it slow. Besides… the suits? They don't really come off."

"Well," he said slowly, looking at her from the corner of his eye, "Only partially… I have a zipper on mine. Do you?"

She shook her head at him. "Haven't found one yet."

He looked at her appraisingly. "Note to self: feel up Ladybug to make sure she didn't miss an invisible zipper somewhere."

Marinette laughed and shook her head at him. He grinned at her.

"You know you'd enjoy it," he said winking.

"Maaaybe," she conceded. "But there's still a hard 'no' on that baton near my nether parts, tomcat."

Adrien snickered at her. "But you don't mind the other _extendable baton_ , right?"

"Oh my God," Marinette groaned, covering her eyes. "You did not just call it that."

"Oh, she blushes!" Adrien cackled. "Well, if you don't like that name for it, maybe I can think of some others for you?"

"Don't you dare, Chat," she grumbled, already knowing it was a lost cause.

"My dick? My cock? My manparts? My _looong_ _dooong_?"

"Ugh, stoooop," she moaned.

He snickered evilly. "My wang, in Cheng?"

"That's it, I'm going to murder you."

"Oh, I can feel it!" Adrien said dramatically, as her hands made a half-hearted effort to strangle him. "Death is coming! Death is cumming! It's almost there! Hopefully it doesn't cum before _she_ does!"

"Oh geez. Why do I even put up with you?!" Marinette exclaimed, drawing her hands back. He caught them in his own before they could slip away entirely.

"Because you love me," he said simply, his eyes glowing with happiness.

"A fact which you're going to fully exploit each and every time you can now, right?"

"I always knew you were the smart one," he smiled, leaning over to give her a soft, long kiss.

"You're going to be the death of me."

"I'll try to make it a little one."

* * *

 _A/N: Chicken arises from the dead with less smut and more baaad jokes! BTW, if you don't get the last one, it's okay. I'll explain it. The French word for an orgasm is "le petit mort," or "the little death." A fact which I have enjoyed ever since I learned it. Hee hee. Language lesson over._

 _One more chapter is this, I dunno when I'll be able to get it out, though. I'll try, my lovies. I'll try._


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